Published German patent application DE-OS No. 27 52 234 discloses a hedge trimmer wherein the cutting teeth of the first movable cutter are at least twice as long as the teeth of the second movable cutter. The overlapping ends of the teeth are widened so that the manufacture thereof is relatively complex. A significant disadvantage of this arrangement is that no adequate protection against injury to the operator is provided because of the reciprocating movement of the widened teeth. In the event that the reciprocating cutter with the widened teeth comes, for example, into inadvertent contact with the thigh of the operator, the danger exists of a very severe injury since the reciprocating teeth can cause so-called blunt lacerations.